DOCUMENTS

July 17, 2012

The second amendment to United States Constitution is only 27 words long, but probably the most controversial words in the entire document, at least as judged in modern times.

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

That's not to say that there have not been other controversies; but this is the one amendment of the first 10 – known as the Bill of Rights – that special interest groups and our current administration in Washington are trying to abolish. It's interesting that they attack this particular amendment and try to destroy it, especially since many of these special interest groups are the first to scream bloody murder if they even perceive an attempt to sidestep or violate the other amendments in the Bill of Rights.

Over the years there've been many attempts to restrict Americans right to self-defense and the right to own and possess firearms. One of the most famous was the Assault Weapons Ban put in place under President William J. Clinton.

There are other well-known attempts at abolishing the right of Americans guaranteed under the Second Amendment. In the District of Columbia there was a ban on handgun ownership until the Supreme Court ruled that people were allowed to possess them. New York City and Chicago are two other cities that make it almost impossible for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

The latest assault on our right to keep and bear arms comes from the Obama Administration as it openly supports the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

So, what exactly is this Arms Trade Treaty?

Theoretically it is an international treaty to regulate and control trade in conventional weapons throughout the world. The big question now is how will this affect the United States and our Second Amendment rights as guaranteed under our Constitution?

Proponents of the treaty will tell you that this is an international treaty that talks about arms sales at a commercial level between signatory states. They try to sell this as a human rights issue. However, opponents of this treaty are afraid it will be an excuse for gun control advocates to infringe on our rights.

Dr. Ted R. Bromund, of the Heritage Foundation, describes four domestic concerns posed to our citizens by the Arms Trade Treaty. They are:

·Transfer requirements – Deals with the transfer and control of conventional arms. As Dr. Bromund points out, clarity is needed as to whether this would also include domestic weapons and how it will affect reporting requirements.

·International business – Given the involvement of United States manufacturers in international arms trade, could this treaty be used to pressure those companies to get out of, or reduce their participation in that market due to financing and insurance issues. If firearms manufacturers do decide to get out of the industry, or reduce their participation in it, American gun owners would find it increasingly more difficult to purchase parts and firearms.

·A review of the rules – Once the final verbiage for the treaty is passed by the United Nations, and it will pass, the rules set forth will be reviewed at intervals to be determined. Changes could be made during review.

·Constitutional interpretation – This is the most important issue where Americans are concerned. With more liberal judges on the bench, who like Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg believe the Constitution should be interpreted with an eye to how things are being done in other countries, there is a real concern that our rights can be in danger from our own judiciary.

People need to remember that the Obama Administration reversed the policies the United States had under the Bush Administration in opposing this treaty. Ken Timmerman, Republican candidate for Maryland's Eighth Congressional District stated: “The U.N. small arms treaty has always been aimed squarely against the Second Amendment rights of Americans. President (George W.) Bush worked hard to thwart these efforts. President (Barack) Obama supports them.”

He may be right. After all, this administration is willing to disregard the Constitution. They do it on a regular basis utilizing tools such as executive privilege and what they refer to as “prosecutorial discretion.” This is an administration that attacks states that are trying to defend its citizens, refuses to prosecute Black Panthers who are intimidating voters and is the same administration which brought us “Fast and Furious,” costing the life of one border patrol agent and who knows how many Mexican citizens.

As Mr. Timmerman observed: “Fast and Furious should be a warning to freedom-loving Americans that the Obama Administration will seek any pretext, including a gun-running operation that cost the life of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, to sway public opinion in favor of sweeping gun bans aimed at eliminating our Second Amendment right as citizens to keep and bear arms.”

American citizens should be very aware this is an administration whose liberal ideology and actions of the last 3 1/2 years give them cause for concern. Since Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President Obama himself, are all ardent gun-control advocates, it is reasonable to assess that they are trying to make an end run around our Constitution. Some are concerned that even if the president signs the treaty, but does not submit it to the Senate for ratification, the United States may hold itself obligated to "refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose" of the treaty.

Remember the United Nations is made up of mostly dictatorships, Third World countries and Islamic nations all unfriendly to the United States, and who do not like our way of life. It is imperative that we do not allow this administration to cede our sovereignty and our rights to the United Nations.

Do not allow this to happen. Contact your senator and demand that they do not support this treaty.

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